GMC R-2 TOAST System Case

There are a countless number of cases on the market today but few are what you could call original or innovative. Cases from Antec and the like are, of course, excellently designed for their specific functions but compared to a normal, generic case there is no major design change. It is an unusual sight to see a case that has taken all the usual design concepts seen on 99% of all cases and rotated them 90 degrees, literally. GMC has created a case very different from the norm which allows the optical drive to be placed facing upwards. This design can have its advantages and of course disadvantages. Today we will be looking at the GMC R-2 ‘TOAST’.

OCZ Technology Group Acquires Renowned System Builder, Hypersonic PC

Sunnyvale, Calif. today announced immediate plans to bring Hypersonic PC into the OCZ Technology Group. Known primarily as the worldwide leader in innovative, high-performance computer memory and power supply units, OCZ acquired Hypersonic PC to employ their rich expertise in high-end system building and take the organization and mobile gaming to the next level. Hypersonic has been paving the way in maximum performance computing since 1996 and established themselves as a leader attributable to their diligent focus on technology, quality, craftsmanship, and world-class support. Under the OCZ Technology Group, the Hypersonic vision can be taken to new heights and grow in key areas of innovation, product development, and market reach.

Combined with their highly personalized solutions and aggressive deployment of the newest advances in PC technology, Hypersonic has earned numerous industry awards and recognition and filled the enthusiast niche unlike any system builder. Their extensive product line includes highly-tuned gaming systems, cutting-edge notebooks, and powerful workstations and is a culmination of their dedication to their craft and the end-user. With OCZ taking the lead, the goal is to carry on the Hypersonic tradition of catering to the demands of the high-end market while increasing resources to maximize innovation and technological leadership and at the same time maintaining their high level of service, quality-control, and customization.

Hypersonic PC’s time-honored reputation for putting the extreme enthusiast and gamer at the forefront of product design and development can now be taken to the next level with the acquisition.

“OCZ’s goal is to deliver the highest performing products to consumers whether that is with premium components or total solutions,” said Ryan Petersen, CEO of the OCZ Technology Group. “We are delighted to welcome Hypersonic PC, a company and brand well-known for their commitment to enthusiasts into the OCZ fold. Together with the additional resources of OCZ Technology, Hypersonic-PC will be able to develop and infuse even more innovation and cutting-edge designs and features into the brand’s leading-edge enthusiast and gaming desktop and mobile offering.”

“Hypersonic, a brand synonymous with performance, is recognized the world over as an award-winning builder of advanced gaming PCs, notebooks, and professional workstations,” said Fred Cohen, CEO and Founder of Hypersonic. “Our strategy has always been to employ bleeding-edge technology and innovative design backed by the highest level of customer support. The fusion of OCZ’s groundbreaking memory and power technologies will catapult Hypersonic to a position of leadership in the performance computing arena.”

“Hypersonic is well recognized for crafting some of the most advanced performance PCs in the world,” said Eyal Akler, CEO of Hypersonic PC. “OCZ Technology Group is clearly a market leader when it comes to producing high quality, high performance products. I am confident that OCZ will use its vast capabilities to further improve the quality and service of the Hypersonic brand. With Hypersonic as part of the OCZ Technology Group our customers can expect more.”

Building on a shared understanding and mutual enthusiasm for leading-edge computer technology, Hypersonic PC will represent the system division of the OCZ Technology Group. Previously, Hypersonic PC customized and pre-built solutions were only available to US customers through their online store. Under the OCZ Technology Group, Hypersonic systems will gain the exposure of the established OCZ global channel, maximizing the availability of the reputable line to enthusiasts worldwide.

Delft, Netherlands—October 24, 2007—OCZ Technology Group (LSE: OCZ), a worldwide leader in innovative, ultra-high performance and high-reliability memory and power supplies, today announced the new 500 Watt StealthXStream Power Supply to offer a sufficient source of power for mainstream gaming PCs. The 500W edition features the same understated look as its 600W predecessor with a sleek black case and unlit fan for the value-conscious consumer seeking effective, quiet performance. Qualified under the watchful eye of the Power Management division at PC Power & Cooling, the StealthXStream is built for superior reliability at an extremely affordable price point.

“From the time PC Power & Cooling joined the OCZ Technology Group in June of this year, all power supply development has been monitored by the power experts at our Southern California facility,” said Ryan Edwards, Global Product Manager for OCZ. “The StealthXStream 500W is the first OCZ PSU to benefit from this in-depth quality assurance and is an exceptional upgrade for a mid-range gaming rig.”

Ideal for gamers and system builders who prefer a straight-forward, value-mined PSU, the StealthXStream focuses on performance, quality, and quiet operation. The 500W configuration provides the necessary power for mainstream gaming systems and desktop computing setups, ensuring you won’t pay extra for a higher wattage unit that a mainstream system does not require. Even at peak loads the 500W StealthXStream remains virtually silent and excludes flashy LEDs, ensuring the power supply is not seen or heard.

High-Speed DDR3 Overclocking and Review Series

Now that most manufacturers have tooled up for long-term DDR3 production, there are only a few companies still releasing high-performance system memory for the DDR2 platform. With the favored P35 and X38 chipsets already making waves, Intel is preparing for their upcoming launch of 4 series northbridge chipsets including the much anticipated X45. This news means that those initial DDR3 kits may as well be called generation one or some other name denoting obsolete equipment, because today Benchmark Reviews is revealing the new evolution in high-performance DDR3 kits. Our comparison review and overclocking series will feature all speeds of PC3 memory, from the outrageous XMP-enhanced high-speed 1866MHz DDR3 to the entry-level 1066MHz, and everything in-between.

OCZ Flex XLC PC2-6400 CL3 Review

Eventually DDR3 memory will take over the memory market but it will still take a while before DDR3 memory adoption will rise - the price will have to go down first. One of the memory series you might want to consider if you're going to buy a high-performance memory kit today is OCZ's Flex XLC. In this review I'm taking a look at the 800MHz version which runs at CL3 timings. The DDR2 FlexXLC memory series from OCZ is designed for watercooled systems and features four products: 800MHz memory with 4-4-4-15 timings, 800MHz with 3-4-4-15 timings, 1150MHz with 5-5-5-18 timings and 1200MHz with 5-5-5-18 timings.

Zotac 8800GTX Amp! Edition Review

It has been a good year for nVidia and its partners. The 8800 series has seen little competition, and even when it has, the 8800GTX and Ultra have emerged as the clear winners every time.

Being almost a year old the 8800GTX could well start reaching its limits in the newest games at high resolutions, making it a less than stellar purchase. Aiming to find out we fired up all the latest and greatest titles at the Zotac 8800GTX AMP! Edition, giving you a chance to see just how well the card can cope with them.

To top it off, we threw a few standard games in the mix as well, hoping to find how much the faster clocks of the AMP! Edition actually help.

Fanatec Headshot Controller Review

The Fanatec Headshot Controller is a mouse and mousepad combination from German manufacturer Fanatec. Usually such a combo is a low quality product, but not in this case. We were surprised by the excellent build quality which is on par, if not better, with big names like Logitech and Microsoft. Also the mousepad has an incredibly smooth surface with almost no friction.

OCZ Vanquisher CPU Cooler

We all know OCZ Technology has been a major competitor in the hardware cooling market for a while now even when the best way to keep something cool was to slap a bigger and louder fan on it. Back then, an 80mm was even uncommon which is, well, laughable. OCZ then focused more on their great memory products and not much came out in terms of CPU cooling products.
More recently, OCZ has re-entered the CPU cooler market with more energy than ever, coming out with three new products – the Vindicator, the Vendetta, and the Vanquisher. The latter of the trio we will be looking at today which also happens to be the newest – the Vanquisher which uses heat pipe technology.

AirLive Skyphone-1000 Review

AirLive has a very diverse line-up. Their Skyphone-1000 is a wireless phone to be used with Skype. It makes calling other Skype users or normal numbers just as easy as with every other phone - it will even ring when someone calls you. As connection method a proprietary Bluetooth protocol is used which lets you use the phone without any corded connection.

Apevia X-Jupiter Jr G Mid Tower ATX Case

The Apevia X-Jupiter JR G may not be the king of mid range, mid-tower cases, but is it truly a prince? Read on to find out just what we thought of the Apevia X-Jupiter JR G. The X-JUPITER JR is a mid tower that shares the same look and some functions of the X-JUPITER Full Tower but with a much more affordable price. For those who like the style of X-JUPITER case but has the space and budget concern, this is the one. Sturdy construction with tool free design and ample space make your installation easy. Besides the top connections for USB 2.0, firewire and audio, this case also comes with a LCD showing the temperature of whatever the sensor attached to, and a fan speed controller to balance the noise and cooling. Today at Benchmark Reviews we take a close look at the Apevia X-Jupiter JR G and let you know if it truly is a Prince!